The FAO calls for groups of the Network to support the Strategies for National Agricultural Development Horizon 2010 at all levels

I. Background

At the World Food Summit of 1996, in consultation with governments of developing countries and countries in transition, outlines of papers from "Strategies for the National Agricultural Development Horizon 2010" for 150 countrieswere prepared They were based on official Government documents, including national position papers for the Summit, as well as relevant information and date from FAO and other official sources.The papers were presented to governmental authorities for examination, and the commentaries received were included.

The Strategy provides a framework of the major actions needed from 1997 to the year 2010 to carry out the commitments of the WFS Plan of Action and in particular, to foster agricultural development with a emphasis on enhancing food security. Each document provides quantifiable objectives as well as estimates of the required financial, human and institutional resources. Particular attention was given to water control technology and related investment programmes as well as to economic and social policy choices, including measures to ensure proper access of food to the poor.

II. Update

In the face of fast changing economic situation in most countries and many social political changes, it became necessary to revise the strategy papers, to enable an analysis of the problems and opportunities found in these papers as well as to adapt the fixed objectives to the new reality. In this context, between 1999 and 2001, with the support of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) of the FAO, 103 national workshops were held to revise the strategy papers (38 in Africa, 23 in Asia, 15 in Eastern Europe, 26 in Latin America and the Caribbean and 14 in the Middle East). In the update, large and diverse number of stakeholders, comprising representatives from Government, farmers organizations, NGOs, research and academic institutions, consumer associations, parlamentarians and donors participated in these excercises. To date, approximately 80 countries have finished the review process of their strategies.

The updated strategy papers contain a revised analysis of the principal limitations, challenges, aims, goals and policies involved, to boost agricultural development and reach acceptable levels of food security by 2010.

The updated strategies, in addition to serving as a reference framework for governmental action, constitute a useful instrument for preparing the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, as well as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Similarly, the Strategies for National Agricultural Development offers a consistent framework for programming technical-assistance activities of the FAO at the national level.

III. Strategies for National Agricultural Development and Thematic Groups

Given that the thematic groups (TG) constitute a framework of action not only to discuss planning and execution of activities related to aspects of rural development and food security, but also to bolster the resolve of the different national governments in meeting the commitments assumed under the Plan of Action of the World Food Summit, the strategy papers of national agricultural development constitute an indispensable instrument to reinforce the functioning of the TG.

Much can still be done to move these strategies of agricultural development closer to reality. An important role can be played by the thematic groups of the network, backing, improving and disseminating these papers at the national level.

For fuller information or to obtain the paper of some country in particular, please contact Oscar Cismondi, Agricultural Programme/Policy Officer, Policy Coordinating Service, Policy Assistance Division (TCAR): Oscar.Cismondi@fao.org